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An Exploration of Psychopathy As a Neuroscience Construct

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An Exploration of Psychopathy As a Neuroscience Construct AN EXPLORATION OF PSYCHOPATHY AS A NEUROSCIENCE CONSTRUCT Silvian Roy A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in Criminology. © Silvian Roy, Ottawa, Canada, 2018 Department of Criminology Faculty of Social Sciences University of Ottawa ii ABSTRACT Hare’s psychopathy construct as defined by the Psychopathy Checklist- Revised has been utilized internationally as a risk assessment instrument for quite some time. Despite this, since its inception it has and continues to raise criticism from the academic community. There is ongoing debate over what the construct entails and how it should be used. Most recent developments in the construct revolve around it being defined as a neurological manifestation. To explore the psychopathy construct’s connection with neuroscience, this thesis focusses on one foundational experiment by the most prominent team of researchers in the field. The exploration borrows from Science and Technology Studies, more specifically Actor-Network Theory and the semiotic of scientific texts. The goal of this analysis is not to criticize nor defend the psychopathy construct, but rather explore the facticity of psychopathy as a neuroscientific fact. Considering the widespread use of the construct across criminal justice systems and mental health practices, understanding the facticity of psychopathy is imperative. Our contention is that psychopathy as defined by neuroscience was not merely a pre-discovered fact of nature, but rather it is a fact that is hybrid; it is both built by researchers and a part of our natural world, social and real. Our findings reveal that the facticity of psychopathy as a neuroscience construct is reliant on it being a Boundary Object: a scientific object that is able to intersect multiple social worlds through its adaptability (Star & Griesemer, 1989). We show how the construct is a boundary object by detailing the many translations it undergoes while it connects with a variety of heterogeneous actors. For each translation, the construct is rendered qualitatively different, yet it proves to be robust enough to maintain the identity of psychopathy and transform it into a neuroscientific fact. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I must thank my supervisor, Dominique Robert, for her guidance and support over the years. Dominique originally approached me as a prospect worth supervising while I was a student in her class, an act that both surprised me and gave me the confidence to move forward as a researcher. Dominique continued to instill confidence and mentor me through the arduous process of writing a thesis, where she exercised a balanced approach involving both patience and push. I am forever grateful to have had such a professional, competent, motivating, and considerate person to guide me through my studies. I cannot adequately express my appreciation for having the opportunity to work with you. I want to thank the thesis evaluators, Martin Dufresne and Isabelle Perreault, as well as the chair of the defence, Jennifer Kilty. I greatly appreciate the time you invested in critically reading the thesis. I value your suggestions, which resulted in edits that I believe strengthened this thesis. Thank-you for your time and energy. I must also thank my partner, Jennifer Madronich, who has stood beside me and supported me in every aspect of my life. I could not possibly have completed this thesis without your advice and support. You are always understanding, and you always know how to make life easy. You were always there to provide that practical support when trying to balance work, research, fun, and all of the things life throws at you. Finally, I thank my family, who kept me on track throughout the years. “Done your thesis yet… working on your thesis?... you have got to get it done, man… just buckle down and finish it already” were all steadily repeated phrases that kept me determined to finish as a means of silencing my critics. Thanks to my mother- Andrea, father- Charles, Aunt Dar, and Grandparents for all of the nagging and support. I could not have done it without any of you. iv Table of Contents THE PAST AND FUTURE OF PSYCHOPATHY ................................................................... 1 A Brief History of Modern Psychopathy .................................................................................... 2 The Development of the Current Construct ................................................................................ 3 Survey of Controversies Related to Psychopathy ....................................................................... 5 Neuroscience and psychopathy: Narrowing in on the Agenda ................................................... 7 PSYCHOPATHY AS AN INDICATOR OF SUCCESS, A MEASURE OF RISK, A CLINICAL PRODUCT AND A SCIENTIFIC CONSTRUCT .............................................. 12 Psychopathy as a Trait Disposition for the Successful ............................................................. 12 Psychopathy as a Correctional Tool for Risk Management...................................................... 15 The Conceptual Link. ............................................................................................ 16 The Empirical Evidence for Psychopathy as a Valid Risk Assessment. ............... 18 Psychopathy as a Clinical Instrument ....................................................................................... 24 Socialization practices and a decline in adequate parenting: Differentiating the Psychopath from the Sociopath. ........................................................................... 25 The duel-deficit model of the psychopathic personality. ...................................... 27 Psychopathy as a Neurological Manifestation: Key Findings .................................................. 30 The Amygdala. ...................................................................................................... 31 The Hippocampus. ................................................................................................ 32 The Prefrontal Cortex (PFC). ............................................................................... 33 Interconnectivity and the Multiplicity of Brain Regions in any Given Function. 36 Treatments: Current and Prospective. .................................................................. 37 Psychopathy as a Scientific Construct ...................................................................................... 40 THE MAKING OF PSYCHOPATHY AS A NEURO FACT: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY STUDIES, AND ACTOR-NETWORK THEORY. ................................... 42 The Building vs. Discovery of facts ......................................................................................... 43 Where to Start the Exploration ................................................................................................. 44 Truth, Associations, and Actor-Networks ................................................................................ 46 Making Nature in the Laboratory ............................................................................................. 49 Criticisms of ANT..................................................................................................................... 51 INSIDE THE KIEHL (2001) LABORATORY ........................................................................ 54 v A Summary of the Article used as Data for our Empirical Exploration ................................... 54 Creating Nature in Laboratories................................................................................................ 56 Analysis of the Kiehl (2001) Laboratory: Inscriptions, Referents, and Embodiments of the Brain .......................................................................................................................................... 60 1. The Translation of the Subject- from Sample to Population............................. 60 2. The Translation of Affective Material and Processing- from Life Events to Operationalized Stimuli ........................................................................................ 61 3. The Translation of Neural Activity- from Blood-Flow to a Responding Brain 63 4. The Translation of Brain Anatomy- from Coordinates to Neural Structures ... 65 5. The Translation of Images- from Raw to Reconstructed .................................. 69 The Significance of Laboratory Translations ........................................................................... 72 UPSTREAM ANALYSIS- HOW KIEHL (2001) BUILDS PSYCHOPATHY AS A NEURO FACT THROUGH TECHNICAL WRITING ......................................................................... 76 Literature: Technical Writing is the ‘Social Work’ in Fact Making ......................................... 77 Setting the Agenda: Psychopathy as a Neuro, Flexible, and Necessary Construct .................. 85 Psychopathy as an Affective Abnormality............................................................. 85 Psychopathy as a Neurological Disorder ............................................................. 87 Psychopathy as a Flexible Construct .................................................................... 89 Psychopathy: a Neuro Construct Buttressed by a Fortress of Organized Allies....................... 92 Psychopathy is Embedded in Absent Instruments ................................................. 92 Psychopathy Pieced Together Through a Series of Incomplete
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